Threat eases from Vic bushfires

THE threat to homes from a bushfire burning in eastern Victoria has eased but smoke from another fire remains a concern.

An emergency warning was issued for the hamlet of Goongerah on Thursday after a fire began near the local school.

The 16-hectare blaze is believed to have ignited from embers from a 137,000 hectare fire burning in the area.

The warning has been downgraded to a watch and act and crews are using bulldozers to construct control lines.

Goongerah, about 70km north from Orbost, is home to about 60 people.

Smoke and ash continues to spew over the town of Morwell from the Hazelwood open-cut coal mine in the Latrobe Valley.

EPA Victoria chief executive officer John Merritt said people should consider leaving town during the really smoky periods.

"We have got very elevated levels of fine particles, it's not the ash and it's not what you can smell, but it is a really serious issue because the very fine particles we can breathe in and get down into our respiratory system," he told Fairfax Radio.

"If I had the opportunity during those smoky periods to either get the bus to a respite centre or get in the car and get out I would do that."

He said the biggest danger is to small children, children with asthma, the elderly or anyone who is frail.

Incident controller Barry Foss said smoke will continue to affect Morwell for weeks.

"This fire remains a complex one that will still take some weeks to bring under control," Mr Foss said on Thursday.

Paramedics and registered nurses will conduct preliminary health assessments for Morwell residents at a centre in the town from Friday.